We'll where to take a foreign friend in china ... there's so many places to see.... I know we'll go see the famous 'drum and bell' towers says I!. Chromi says why are they famous? I said well there was a tourist stabbed and killed there during the olympics! then the knife guy jumped to his death. It's gotta be a decent look!

So looks like chromi came in extra handy today ... what else does a friend from aus bring with them ? A spare camera! mine went flat. it could of been devastating for the future of sdb! lost shenme dongxi's ... you should see the stuff he captured ... he's a true shenme dongxi artiste!

So it was chromi to the rescue ... although he is quite shy about appearing like a tourist. You'll prolly have to wait a day or so before i get the shots from him as he is now in his new hotel room ... right in the heart of BJ ... where its about -3 degrees! go on an get into that nightlife ... in your double pants and duffles ... do the waddle!!

We had a little trouble locating the hotel ... My putonghwa didn't cut it at the local cop shop either ... that had to fetch the 'english' specialist cop! doh! to give us right directions ....

but once we were inside it was no worries finding the way out ... just a few steps down the 'straightway' ;)
!

I don't know if it's that easy ... there was a lot of tricky mirror work going on ... is that really a straightway!!! Is there a dragon hiding somewhere here?

It's a beaut find though ... a central hotel that will take him!! ... you see he couldn't stay nearby our home at fruit park because the hotels out that way aren't 'licensed' to carry foreigners' Infact they get fined if they book one in!!! Laopo (pronounce lao .. pooor) says it's because their not 'good enough' for us forry's. I say damn stright! tidy up those dodgy hotels... hangon this place looks a damn side better than some of the motels i stopped of in back in aus. My conspiracy theory is they want to know where you are at all times so they can spy on you or something ... and those little outskirting crusty hotels havent had the ol secret security monitors installed behind the bathroom mirrors and what not. Or their trying to avoid the ol 'stabbed to death' foreigner press. i guess its not good publicity ;) or poaaibly if were all spread out too thin there just too many of us floating around to keep tabs on ... who knows ... but this one was only 120 quai per night .... sans a private bathroom ... that'll be ab extra 80 thank you!

But hey we aussies .. we can ruff it in the shoddiest hotels!

ok chromi ... summon the inner spirit ... you to can move ... your hands... nice pose! .

this area is famous for the ol 'rickshaws' around here ... i think chromi got a snap .. but i was more interested in this one which is obviously 'emulating' a real rickshaw ... which is pedle powered! But this driver says bugger that! ... those weiguorens are getting too fat ... i need a motor to push them around these days! The old red canopy is a must for any rickshaw emulation ... stay tuned for some pics of the real thing.

bang that drum doggii! we'll no sign of knife weilding crazy chinese today ... i guess the olympics just was too much stress for some ... but i guess you never know when your numbers up.

But the metal scanners on the way in are probably a welcomed new addition. we wouldnt want any copy cats. would we doggii! So close yet so far away ... you weren't allowed to bang the drums ... and there was a guard on watch ...

and i guess it's a great place for a murder-suicide....it really is quite ... well .... breath taking!! ok enuf of all these insensitive puns. The view from the drum tower is awesome ... it gives you an eerie feeling to see how everything was planned out to the letter so many years ago ... the other big gate i showed you a couple of days back is on the south side ... this is on the north side and you can see the emperor's forbidden palace directly inbetween. I guess there were 'early warning' lookout posts all around his palace. As you do. Gotta watch out for those crazy mongolians from the north! Isn't that where your heading chromi ;) .........Is that the mogol's on hores back ... quick bang the drums .. ring the bell!!!

The surrounding area is infact very old style beijing architecture ... the locals are trying to protect it from developers ... i mean a high rise around here would be worth quite a few billion i would imagine.

ay ... ni hao!! ... hao de .. today we got a bottle of water. how boring! well what was interesting was the advertisement there ... our water is perfect and if you don't believe us ... here's some litmus paper. go on check it! i dare you! ph 7.4 ... thats what you want to score!